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The Pilates Method of
body conditioning was developed by German Joseph Pilates
more than 70 years ago. For many years, Pilates training
remained a well-kept secret in the world of dance and the
performing arts. In recent years the growing interest in
"mind/body" exercise has brought Pilates concepts to the
forefront of fitness training.
This wave of interest has
seen stars such as Madonna, Sharon Stone and Jodie Foster
using The Method and enjoying the benefits of Pilates
training techniques.
The Pilates Method
comprises more than 500 exercises, performed as a mat-based
workout or using special resistance equipment developed by
Joseph Pilates.
The central concept of
Pilates training is strengthening the "Powerhouse" or core
of the body - the deep abdominal muscles, buttock muscles
and the muscles around the spine. A training program based
on Pilates will stabilize the pelvis and shoulder girdle,
stretching and strengthening the entire body with movement
initiating from "the center".
Joseph Hubertus Pilates
was born , Germany in 1880. As a child, he suffered from a
number of physical ailments including Rickets, Asthma and
Rheumatic Fever.
Pilates, determined to
overcome these health issues, began a lifetime dedication to
physical fitness beginning with gymnastics, body building,
and skiing. He also studied eastern methods of training such
as Yoga and Zen meditation. By the time he was a teenager,
he was in good enough physical condition to pose for
anatomical charts - quite a transformation!
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History of Pilates
"I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in
my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing
my exercises, they'd be happier."
- Joseph Hubertus Pilates, in 1965, age 86
Joseph Pilates was born
in Germany in 1880. He was a sickly child determined to
overcome his various afflictions through self-discipline and
hard work. By age 14 he had gained enough strength to
become an accomplished skin diver, skier and gymnast. Around
1912 Joseph went to England to become a boxer. He worked as
a circus performer and trained detectives in self-defense.
At the outbreak of WWI, he was placed under forced
internment along with other German nationals in Lancaster,
England. There he taught fellow camp members the concepts
and exercises developed over 20 years of self-study and
apprenticeship in yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman
physical regimens. It was at this time that he began
devising the system of original exercises known today as
"mat work", or exercises done on the floor. He called this
regimen "Contrology." A few years later, he was transferred
to another camp, where he became a hospital orderly to the
many internees struck with wartime disease and physical
injury. Here, he began devising equipment to rehabilitate
his "patients," taking springs from the beds and rigging
them to create spring resistance and "movement" for the
bedridden.
In a way, Pilates equipment today is not much different than
that of yesteryear. Spring tension, straps to hold feet or
hands, supports for back, neck and shoulder are as important
now as it was then. Because of the remarkable nature of the
equipment to both challenge and support the body as it
learns to move more efficiently, the uniquely designed
pieces truly act as a complement to the challenging "mat
work" exercises.
While Joe was the outspoken force behind his method, his
wife Clara, a trained nurse, quietly incorporated his
concepts and exercises in ways that benefited more seriously
ill or injured clients. Her approachable style and special
techniques spawned a dedicated lineage of teachers whose
work flows through and uniquely colors the landscape of the
Pilates method today. It is perhaps because of Clara that
Pilates is clearly recognized as a positive form of
movement-based exercise that truly can be tailored to any
level of not just fitness, but also of health.
Practiced faithfully, Pilates yields numerous benefits.
Increased lung capacity and circulation through deep,
healthy breathing is a primary focus. Strength and
flexibility, particularly of the abdomen and back muscles,
coordination-both muscular and mental, are key components in
an effective Pilates program. Posture, balance, and core
strength are all heartily increased. Bone density and joint
health improve as well as maintaining a healthy, mobile
spine. Pilates teaches balance and control of the body, a
quality that spills over into other areas of one's life.
We are as old as our spines- Joseph Hubertus Pilates |
